Badaun rape: Mayawati demands Prez rule in UP, meets victims' family

Badaun, UP:  Coming down hard on the Akhilesh Yadav government for the Badaun gangrape case, BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday said transferring and suspending officers will not help and the SP government needs to tighten the noose around its own party men.

Reiterating her demand for imposition of President’s rule in the State, she said, “If the State government is unable to control the situation, then in the interest of the people it should relinquish power. Otherwise we again request the Governor to recommend President’s rule,” she said.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today joined the list of politicians who have been making a beeline to Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, where two girls were gang-raped and murdered. She stepped up her attack on the SP government alleging it was perpetrating "jungle raj" and there was attempt to put the case on the back burner.

A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the victims' family, local Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav also reached Katra village where he faced the anger of the inconsolable parents who have alleged that the police did not take prompt action in the case because of their caste.

Mayawati, who met the family of the cousins whose bodies were found hanging on a tree on May 28, announced Rs. 5 lakh each to the victims' kin from the party fund, claiming that though they have refused the government compensation, they would accept her assistance.

Read: Uttar Pradesh rape: Father of gang-raped, murdered teenagers demands justice

"The family members told me that the local MP came this morning and offered compensation and all help, but they refused. They told that whatever I will give them, they will accept gladly," she said after meeting the family.

"They (family) said police had all plans to save the accused which I strongly condemn," she said . "There was an attempt to put the case on the back burner and when I came to know this, I immediately decided to come to Badaun," she said.

"After I got to know that the state government was delaying action, I sent my party's national general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui to the village and held a press conference."

"The outcome of my decision was that the state government decided for a CBI inquiry into the matter," she added. Mayawati also alleged that there was complete "jungle raj" in the state and Badaun was the most affected. She threatened that if "atrocities" were committed on the people here in the future, she would stage a sit-in in protest.

Mayawati stayed at the victims' house for around 20 minutes and said the financial assistance would reach them by Tuesday.